Mt. Kinkeizan

Mt. Kinkeizan is located almost exactly at the midpoint between Chusonji Temple and Motsuji Temple. Legend has it that a pair of golden chickens, a male and a female, are buried at the summit of the mountain to protect the town of Hiraizumi; hence the name of the mountain, which means “Golden Chicken Mountain.” This mountain is mentioned in “The Narrow Road to the Deep North,” the poetic travel diary of the 17th century haiku poet Matsuo Basho, and near the beginning of the climbing trail is a small memorial pagoda marking the graves of the wife and child of the 12th century warrior Minamoto no Yoshitsune.